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Posts Tagged ‘ Doubt ’

Many LDS Church members are unaware that a secret LDS temple ordinance called the “Second Anointing” is regularly being administered by LDS Church apostles to elite friends, family, and leaders (mostly stake presidents, temple presidents, mission presidents, and LDS general authorities, along with their wives). In this ordinance (according to reports) an apostle washes the feet of the couple in the temple, anoints them on the head with oil such that their “calling and election is made sure” (guaranteeing them a place in the Celestial Kingdom), and then invites the couple to retreat to a room in the temple, wherein the wife washes her…

Micah Nickolaisen has been an important participant in the Mormon Internet for the past three years. His activism began in 2012 as co-founder of both the “A Thoughtful Faith” and the “Exploring Sainthood” podcasts/communities – both of which sought to encourage thoughtful and faithful LDS Church activity/participation. After losing his faith/confidence in the LDS Church in 2013, and in reaction to the Kate Kelly and John Dehlin excommunications in 2014/2015, Micah co-led several projects which sought to bring attention/visibility to problems within in the LDS Church. Micah co-founded the “Strangers in Zion” project, wherein LDS Church members were encouraged to…

On April 15th, 2015 six board members from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities met with over 100 current and former Brigham Young University students to get the most authentic feedback possible regarding religious and academic freedom at BYU — without the administration present. The full audio recording of this meeting can be accessed below (warning: audio quality is sub-optimal). For a recap of the meeting, check out this thread on Reddit, along with this thread. And here is a link to the transcript of the student commentary. At present, if an LDS BYU student loses their religious faith while at BYU,…

In this two-part series we interview the panelists for Infants on Thrones Podcast: Glenn, Matt, Scott, Randy, Bob, Tom, and Jake. These guys do tend to get a bit rowdy (language!)…so listener discretion is advised.

In their latest book, The Crucible of Doubt, published by Deseret Book, Fiona and Terryl Givens tackle perhaps their most daunting — and important — subject to date: doubt in the context of Mormon faith. In Part 1, we interview a Mormon Stories listener and contributor, James Patterson, about his struggles with doubt and how the book helped him. In Part 2, Terryl and Fiona take us through the book as we discuss the elements of Mormonism that cause some of the biggest doubts and how to approach them with new paradigms. Time last night didn’t allow for a Part…

In this three-part series we interview Neil Ransom (Kate Kelly’s husband, and Ph.D. candidate in anthropology) and we speak with Kate about her excommunication and the aftermath. Some of the fascinating tidbits we explore: Neil’s early years growing up in Africa How Neil’s mission, along with his attending BYU-Idaho, actually turned him into a progressive Mormon How Kate and Neil met (their love story), and what Neil loves most about Kate What Neil is researching for his Ph.D. (hint….it’s super cool) Has Neil experienced a faith crisis? Who “wears the pants” in Kate/Neil’s marriage…also what are the traits of a “real man” according…

Christine Jeppsen Clark is a mother of six, a former Mormon Tabernacle Choir member, a Ph.D. graduate student focusing on dementia, and a dear personal friend. She is also the daughter of the late Elder Malcolm S. Jeppsen — former LDS General Authority, personal physician and best friend to Elder Boyd K. Packer, and a GA who was directly involved in the excommunication of Avraham Gileadi (one of the September Six). In this multi-part episode with Christine we discuss: What it was like to grow up in the 1950s and 1960s in Salt Lake City as a very orthodox, devout member…

In February 2012, Jeremy Runnels experienced a crisis of faith, which subsequently led to a faith transition in the summer of 2012. In the spring of 2013, Jeremy was approached and asked by a Church Education System (CES) Director to share his concerns and questions about the LDS Church’s origins, history, and current practices. In response, Jeremy wrote what later became publicly known as Letter to a CES Director. Letter to a CES Director very quickly went viral on the internet. The CES Director responded that he read the “very well written” letter and that he would provide Jeremy with…

In this three-part interview conducted by Sarah Collett of A Thoughtful Faith podcast we discuss: My ups, downs, and ups with the church The story behind the “Why Mormons Question” survey, including my interactions with a few church leaders A discussion of the Daniel Peterson/Neil A. Maxwell institute incident last year The reasons behind the discontinuation of the Mormon Stories conferences and communities Interactions w/ my bishop and stake president over the past year How and why I’ve returned to full activity in the church Big thanks to Sarah and Micah for all of their hard work.

In part 4 of a 4 part series, Sandra Tanner discusses her views on being called an “anti-Mormon,” her Christian beliefs, her views on the recent candor/openness and future of the LDS church, the passing of her husband (Jerald — Alzheimer’s), and shares her final testimony.

Sandra and the late Jerald Tanner were raised in the LDS faith, both with a strong Mormon family history. Jerald was the great-great-grandson of John Tanner, well known for his sizable financial contributions to Joseph Smith and the LDS church in 1835 when the church was deeply in debt. Sandra Tanner is a great-great-granddaughter of Brigham Young, the second president of the Mormon Church. As teenagers, before they met, Jerald and Sandra were challenged by different people and events to examine the origins of Mormonism. Soon after their introduction, they jointly began researching Mormonism and became engaged. Both accepted Christ…

Adam Miller has been described as one of the most interesting and important writers in Mormonism today. In this episode we speak with Adam about his new book, “Letters to a Young Mormon,” published by the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship. According to Adam, this book attempts to address the real beauty and costs of trying to live a Mormon life. Adam is a professor of philosophy at Collin College in McKinney Texas. He was born and raised in a small Pennsylvania branch, and served an LDS mission in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He has been married for 15 years…

Over the last decade, there’s been a small group of Latter-day Saints carving out space for themselves in the Mormon community. They are often called “New Order Mormons.” They don’t believe everything the Church teaches, but they stay because they love the culture and are spiritually nourished by their involvement. Wednesday, Doug Fabrizio of RadioWest sits down with John Dehlin, co-founder of StayLDS.com. They’ll talk about this progressive strain of Mormonism and what it means for a church so defined by orthodoxy.

In November, 2005 Mormon Stories interviewed Jason Nelson-Seawright (known online as “Roasted Tomatoes”) and Taryn Nelson-Seawright (“Serenity Valley”). In this touching, 2-part series Taryn discussed how she resigned from the church as a teenager, but ultimately felt called by God to become re-baptized into the LDS church — ultimately becoming sealed to Jason in the temple. You can listen to this original episode here and here. In this episode, nine years later, Jason and Taryn discuss their decision to leave the church completely. They also discuss how their experiences with Autism Spectrum Disorder affected this decision.

Brad Kramer represents a rising generation of young, thoughtful, faithful Latter-day Saint scholars. In this two part episode, Brad briefly discusses his own faith/intellectual journey within the LDS church, and then offers a parent/child, developmental framework for approaching a more mature LDS faith. Brad also briefly discusses a new approach to LDS apologetics, often dubbed “pastoral apologetics.” Brad is married to Tracey von Bose-Kramer, and is the father of five children. Brad holds a B.A. in Russian from Brigham Young University, a B.A. in History from the University of Utah, an M.A. in American History from the University of Utah, and is…

Josh Hanagarne is a father, husband, avid reader, librarian, weight lifter extraordinaire, and the author of the amazing book The World’s Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette’s, Faith, Strength, and the Power of Family. In this podcast, Heather Olson Beal and John Dehlin interview Josh about his childhood and adolescence, his Tourette’s diagnosis and treatment, his LDS mission experience, his marriage and family, his educational and work experiences, his body building experiences, and his faith/spirituality. Josh is open, honest, and frank about all of the above. The book is delightful and thought-provoking and full of humanity and beauty. We can’t…

Note: USU has requested that I remove this audio from the website, and so I have. Sorry for the inconvenience! Dr. Gregory A. Prince was selected to present the 19th annual Leonard J. Arrington Mormon History Lecture. The lecture is an annual event hosted by University Libraries and its Special Collections and Archives Division at Utah State University. The lecture is sponsored by University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives, the Leonard J. Arrington Lecture and Archives Foundation and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Utah State University. Dr. Prince spoke on Thursday, Sept. 19, at the Logan LDS…

Ryan McIlvain was born in Utah and raised in Massachusetts. His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in many journals, including The Paris Review. A graduate of the Rutgers MFA Program and a recipient of the Stegner Fellowship at Stanford, he currently lives with his wife in Los Angeles. As part of Mormon Stories Book Club, today Heather Olson Beal and I discuss Ryan’s book “Elders,” which is the story of two young Mormon missionaries in Brazil and their tense, peculiar friendship. Elder McLeod—outspoken, surly, a brash American—is nearing the end of his mission. For nearly two years he has spent his days studying…

Hans H. Mattsson is a 3rd generation LDS church member from Sweden who served as a bishop and stake president in Sweden before serving in the LDS church 3rd Quorum of the Seventy from 2000-2005 in the Europe Central area under LDS Apostle L. Tom Perry. In this 5-part interview, and accompanied by his beautiful wife Birgitta, Hans discusses the following: Part 1: His early years in Sweden prior to becoming an Area Authority. Part 2: His years as an Area Authority Seventy. Part 3: His interactions with LDS Apostles and the 1st Presidency. Part 4: His struggles with faith/testimony, specifically…

In today’s episode we interview John Hamer, who left Mormonism and religion/belief altogether with no intent to return (after graduating from BYU). We explore how John’s relationship with his partner, Mike, helped him to discover his love for Mormon history, the Mormon historians community, and the John Whitmer Historical Association. This path ultimately led John to become baptized in the Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) on April 6, 2010 — the 150th anniversary of the Reorganization and the 180th anniversary of the organization of the church. How does an ex-Mormon who…

In January 2006 Mormon Stories interviewed Tom Kimball and Dan Wotherspoon to discuss James Fowler’s “Stages of Faith” and Mormonism (you can listen to the original interview here). At the time, both Tom and Dan were active in the LDS church, and committed to remaining members. 7 years later, Tom Kimball and his family have left the church, and Dan remains. This is their Mormon story of faith and doubt…7 years hence.

In parts 3 and 4 of a 4-part series, Eldon Kartchner discusses: 1) losing his wife, Heather, to cancer, 2) his grieving process, and 3) the impact her death has had on his religious faith. In part 4, Eldon is joined by several family members to discuss their reactions to Heather’s death as well. Part 3 Part 4

Philip Barlow is editor of the book “A Thoughtful Faith,” which was pivotal in my faith transition as a BYU student and beyond. He currently sits in the Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture, at Utah State University. He earned a B. A. from Weber State College and an M.T.S. and Ph.D. (1988, with an emphasis on Religion and American Culture and on the History of Christianity) from Harvard University. He spent two years as a Mellon Fellow at the University of Rochester after which he became professor of Theological Studies at Hanover College in Indiana. In addition to…

In this episode we interview Joanna Brooks – author of the newly released The Book of Mormon Girl: A Memoir of an American Faith published by Simon & Schuster. In part 1, John interviews Joanna about her book. In part 2, Joanna discusses The Book of Mormon Girl with a book group. Joanna is the Board Chairman of Mormon Stories, has keynoted at Mormon Stories Conferences in Salt Lake City, Boston and Boise, is the author of the popular Ask Mormon Girl blog at Feminist Mormon Housewives and AskMormonGirl.com, blogs at ReligionDispatches.org and is a professor at San Diego State…

Benji Schwimmer is a world renowned dancer and choreographer. He is best known for winning Season 2 of the hit tv show So You Think You Can Dance. In this 3-part interview, Benji discusses the following: Part 1: His early years, and his LDS mission experience, Part 2: His experiences on So You Think You Can Dance, and Part 3: His attempts to come to terms with his sexuality and his LDS faith.